SPOTLIGHT: AUTHOR EILEEN HARRIS

This second book in the series takes the reader further into the life of Alicia Trent and her friends. Magic, forgery, betrayal, and fabulous jewels surround Alicia as she struggles to find the reason for her friend's death.

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Excerpt:

We were nearly halfway up the stairs when I heard Lawrence groan. I turned to see what had happened. He was deathly white, and while I watched, he sank down on the closest step. He was sweating heavily and clutching his stomach. He didn't seem coherent enough to answer any questions, so I ducked into my room and called for an ambulance. They only took about ten minutes to arrive, but it was horrible to wait. Lawrence was obviously in great pain, but couldn't tell me what was wrong.

The ride to the hospital took an eternity. They wouldn't let me ride in the ambulance, and I was so afraid of what would happen before he arrived. I was shaking and behind the wheel of a car was the last place I should have been, but as the ambulance tore through the streets with the siren blaring, I was right behind them.

I ran from the parking lot into the emergency room just in time to see them take Lawrence through a set of swinging doors where I couldn't follow. I slumped into a chair, and for the next two hours I sat in a waiting room with dull green walls and hard metal chairs. I never moved while I waited. My mind was busy begging Lawrence to hold on.

Since I was the only one waiting, when I saw an exhausted-looking man dressed in scrubs walk into the room, I took a deep breath and hurried to his side.

He said, “Are you the relative who brought Lawrence Hall in tonight?”

Afraid they wouldn't tell me anything if I confessed to not being a relative, I just nodded.

“Mr. Hall is a very sick man. He's been poisoned, and we think he must have eaten poisonous mushrooms. Our tests indicate they were probably green-spored lepiota.”

At this point I wanted to scream at him to just tell me his condition. He could explain the details after I knew how Lawrence was.

However, he wasn't finished explaining. “This particular mushroom doesn't normally cause death, but among its other symptoms it can dangerously lower blood pressure. Mr. Hall must be on some type of medication that has the same effect, or at least exacerbated the effect of the mushroom, because we nearly lost him. It's a good thing you got him here when you did. We have him stabilized now, and he should make a full recovery.”

I barely heard anything the man said except the last statement. Lawrence was going to be all right! My knees weakened with relief and I sank into the nearest chair.

He continued, “He's awake, and we need to monitor him closely for a while. We want to keep him tonight and tomorrow for observation, but he can probably go home after that. If you want to see him, you can visit for a short time, but first, can you tell me what type of medication he's taking? He was still pretty confused when I talked to him and wasn't able to tell me.”

“I don't know the exact medication. Lawrence is bi-polar, so it has to be something for that. I'll see if I can find out the name for you.”

I got the room number and was practically running in my need to see for myself that he was alive and recovering. I burst into the room, nearly knocking over a nurse on her way out. She cautioned me the patient needed rest and, with a frown in my direction, left the room. I pulled a chair up next to the bed and took Lawrence's hand. “You look so much better already. You have some color back.”

He said, “You look terrible. You can relax. I'm going to be fine. I was a little worried in the beginning because the confusion felt the way some of my episodes used to begin. The confusion is gone now, and I really am fine. It's left me very tired, but they don't want me to sleep yet. Tell me exactly what happened. I'm sure the gory details will help keep me awake. The last thing I remember is starting up the stairs, and then brief moments in the ambulance.”

I wanted to answer in the same matter-of-fact way he'd asked the question. I tried, but before I could begin, tears were running down my face and I couldn't find my voice. I didn't sob or howl. Strangely, I didn't make any noise at all. I just stared at Lawrence, horrified because he might have died trying to help me. All the while the silent tears kept coming.

He said, “Ali, we can't have this. I've seen you go through some horrible times, but I've never seen you cry. There's no need for you to be so upset. I promise you I will be out of here tomorrow, and all will be well. Even the doctor says so.”

I gulped a few times trying to find my voice. It didn't sound good, but I managed to say, “I couldn't bear it if anything happened to you. When you get out of here, you're going right back to Scottsdale! I should never have involved you in any of this.”

“Whoa there, girl! In the first place, I'm a grown man and you can't involve me in anything I don't choose to be involved in. In the second place, you and your crazy mixed-up life are the main thing keeping me from getting old and bored. Bad things happen sometimes, but none of this is your fault. Now dry those tears and tell me how I got here.”

I hiccuped a few times but got myself under control. “Okay, I'm not trying to take the blame for what happened, but I was so scared. It seems you were poisoned. I wasn't in much shape to listen to the doctor, but it was some kind of mushroom. There were mushrooms in the food we ate at supper, but we both ate those. Someone targeted you specifically. At the moment, I have no idea why they did it, but I don't think whoever did this was trying to kill you. The doctor said the symptoms were severe but not normally fatal. The problem seemed to be a reaction between the poison and your medication. Whoever did this couldn't have known that you take anything, or at least not that your medicine would react with the mushrooms. The doctor asked me to find out the name of your prescription.”

“I vaguely remember him asking me, but I was pretty confused then and couldn't remember. It's Geodon. They tried dozens before, but nothing worked until this came along. I'm one of the lucky ones, because it not only keeps the problem in check, but I don't suffer from any severe side effects. This reaction with poison mushrooms is something I certainly never expected. I should have told you ages ago in case of a relapse or some bizarre circumstances like these.”

“I'll let the doctor know the name of the medicine. I don't know if your medication lowers your blood pressure, but it dropped dangerously low. That's what had the doctors worried.”

“I don't know either, but the doctors will figure it out. I understand I have to be in here until tomorrow evening, even though I tried to talk them into letting me go sooner. You need to promise me you won't do anything the least bit dangerous until I get back. One day isn't going to make any difference. Whoever did this may have planned it to separate us for some reason. So promise me you'll be careful and not spend time alone.”

The frowning nurse came back and warned me I needed to leave. Visiting hours were over and the patient needed rest.

I said, “Don't worry about me. I promise I will take every precaution until you're out of here. I'll be back tomorrow afternoon and will drive you to the house when they release you. Just get well!”

Outside the room, Detective Wilton was waiting for me.

About the Author:

From living off the grid in the Arizona desert, Eileen has moved to the woods of upstate New York. She has authored a standalone adventure novel called Desert Shadow. She is also the author of Alicia Trent Series. The Black Cane : Dowager Diaries Book 1 is her latest release.

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A ROWLINGS-GALBRAITH Quill match.

I have a confession to make. I have NOT (never ever) read the HARRY POTTER series. Several factors contributed to that travesty:

1) It didn't even register on my TBR list until the first movie came out.

2) Children were too young when it started gaining popularity and no copies were found about the house.

3) Once I watched the movies, which I since watched countless times each, the books lost their appeal only because they'd lost the suspense.

And because I didn't read Harry Potter, I made it a point to read The Casual Vacancy when it came out. I liked it. A lot. I like Rowlings' writing style, like a slow chug up to the point of no return (the point where an avid reader, in all conscientiousness, cannot go back from or give up the climb) and then a steady race down to the finish. The Casual Vacancy is not fantastical, no swashbuckling Quidditch going on anywhere, no diabolic noseless robes or owls or magic wands swishing about...only Rowlings' magic quill calligraphing each page with care. It's a dark book about a small town reacting to the death of a popular citizen...a seemingly simple plot but by the end of the book, I didn't find my time wasted.

And that I think is the mark of a great writer.

Now, lets attend to the Cormoran Strike series. Written under the notorious pen name, Robert Galbraith, The Cuckoo's Calling and The Silkworm are detective/crime novels, simple and fantastic. I don't just like these books, I LOVE them. Again, both books are a slow build-up to a booming HE DID IT! The main characters are as likable and fleshed out as Potter and Hermoine and speak to me more as they are adults with plenty of muggle-world adult issues.

Which brings me to the Silkworm I recently read. This book not only takes you on a walk about London and its environs solving a crime, but into the bowels of the publishing world. My world, as it is. I love the concept of using a novel within a novel to unravel the plot...puts me in mind of An Imperial Affliction in the Fault In Our Stars.

When novelist Owen Quine goes missing, his wife calls in private detective Cormoran Strike. At first, Mrs. Quine just thinks her husband has gone off by himself for a few days-as he has done before-and she wants Strike to find him and bring him home.

But as Strike investigates, it becomes clear that there is more to Quine's disappearance than his wife realizes. The novelist has just completed a manuscript featuring poisonous pen-portraits of almost everyone he knows. If the novel were to be published, it would ruin lives-meaning that there are a lot of people who might want him silenced. 

When Quine is found brutally murdered under bizarre circumstances, it becomes a race against time to understand the motivation of a ruthless killer, a killer unlike any Strike has encountered before... A compulsively readable crime novel with twists at every turn, THE SILKWORM is the second in the highly acclaimed series featuring Cormoran Strike and his determined young assistant, Robin Ellacott.

In The Silkworm publishers, editors, agents, writers and their aunts...all are suspect. Again, my world, as it is. :)
Here are some of my favorite lines from the book:

“The whole world's writing novels, but nobody's reading them.” 

“We don’t love each other; we love the idea we have of each other. Very few humans understand this or can bear to contemplate it. They have blind faith in their own powers of creation. All love, ultimately, is self-love.” 

“...writers are a savage breed, Mr. Strike. If you want life-long friendship and selfless camaraderie, join the army and learn to kill. If you want a lifetime of temporary alliances with peers who will glory in your every failure, write novels.” 

“Forever encased in the amber of a writer's prose.”

“Hard to remember these days that there was a time you had to wait for the ink and paper reviews to see your work excoriated. With the invention of the internet, any subliterate cretin can be Michiko Kakutani.” 

Last but not least,

“... cheer the fuck up and eat your burger.” ~ Robert Galbraith, The Silkworm.

JOHANNA K PITCAIRN: Author Interview

Dear Reader, today on the blog we Interview Johanna K Pitcairn, author of 32 Seconds.

What inspired you to write this book?

My own struggles, my life experiences, my failures, all the challenges I had to go through. 32 Seconds is a very personal story, mixed with fictional elements.

Can you give us an interesting fact about your book that isn't in the blurb?

If I tell you, then the ending is ruined. LOL Let’s just say the world where Julie travels to is called the Underworld.

How did you choose your title?

I wanted to call this book The Truth Within. Then I realized 32 Seconds sounded better, and made more sense with the ending.

Tell us about the cover and how it came to be.

My tattoo artist Beau Brady designed it, and he did a fantastic job. I asked him if he could design the cover for me, and told him I wanted a skyline, roses, and the number 32. And the rest was all his.

Did you self-publish or publish traditionally and why?

I self-published. I feel more free when I’m in control of my product from beginning to end. I worked in the past for an indie publisher, and our relationship just didn’t work. I didn’t feel like I could write about what really touched me.

What do you consider the most important part of a good story?

The beginning, and the ending.

What is your writing process?

I’d say I start with an idea that I then develop into something very logical. A beginning, a middle, and an end. Then, knowing these three elements, I start writing. I shape my characters, push them in various directions, and as I write, I let the organic process take place. I don’t stick to a script. I change my plot twists many times. I add and remove characters, kill or resurrect them, make them fall in love or break up. I consider writing like painting on a blank canvas. I have an idea, but the end result can be so remote from the original plan. I don’t like to plot. Many authors told me they write so much faster when they plot, but I found that plotting hinders my creative process. I plot in a way, but my structure is very loose, and changes constantly. As long as I know what my characters are doing, I’m good to go. All my stories are character driven, not plot driven.

How long have you been writing?

Since I’ve been nine years old.

How did you get started writing?

By reading.

What part of the writing process is the hardest for you?

The first draft.

What tips can you give on how to get through writers block?

Watch a movie. Distract yourself. I haven’t had the writer’s block in a really long time. I just don’t write if my mind is not ready.

What kind of music do you like to listen to while you write?

The Man of Steel soundtrack by Hans Zimmer.

Who is your favorite author?

Ayn Rand.

Who is your favorite character from a book?

Sherlock Holmes.

What is your favorite book?

Atlas Shrugged.

Read anything good lately?

Yes. Seeing Ghosts by James Garcia Jr.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I sleep, work out, or pet my cats. I also like long walks by the water. And shopping.

What advice would you give an author just starting out?

Keep writing, make it a habit, don’t give up, listen to your editor, and don’t be sad if you don’t sell any books at the beginning. The purpose of being a writer isn’t to make money, it’s to have fun.

Have you had anything else published?

Yes, an anthology of horror short stories, Stories From The Underworld

What's your next project?

I’m working on an urban fantasy/sci-fi trilogy called The Manicheans. The Manicheans are individuals with superhuman qualities – but they’re unaware of them until they realize they have been chosen to save mankind from extinction by ill-intentioned aliens. The first volume, titled Esperanza, will be ready for release next Christmas 2015. 

Thanks, Johanna, for coming here are answering so many questions. 

Now...about 32 Seconds:

To the average onlooker, the city of Los Angeles represents glitz, glamour, and the celebrity lifestyle. But to seventeen-year-old Julie Jones, the city is a vast host of problems she’s longing to get away from. The latest? An unfortunate disagreement with her ex-boyfriend Mark—one that could land her in some serious hot water.

So rather than face the troubles that torment her, Julie decides to run away from her old life and start fresh somewhere new. But her parents aren’t on board with the plan, and she soon finds her bank accounts frozen and her wallet empty.

With just seventy-five dollars and a full tank of gas, the troubled teen is far too stubborn to turn around and head home. So what’s a girl to do?

What Julie doesn’t know is that her travels are about to take her somewhere unexpected—a place where she’ll be forced to come face to face with the ghosts of her past in order to secure her future.

A tale of redemption, hope, and freedom lost and found, 32 Seconds is a thought-provoking exploration into the human spirit and the nature of forgiveness.

Available on Amazon

About the Author

Johanna K. Pitcairn has dreamed of becoming a writer since childhood--authoring her first novel at the age of nine, and countless poems, stories, and screenplays by the age of seventeen. Later, rather than pursuing a career as a director and screenwriter, she decided to go to law school, driven by her father's opinion that "writing does not pay the bills."

Ten years later, she moved to New York City, which inspired her to go back to the excitement, wonder, and constant change of being a writer. Pitcairn is a huge fan of psychological-thriller novels and movies, and delves into her hopes, fears, friends, enemies, and everything in between in her own writing.

Contact the Author:

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The Write Club: members only.

Writing is a lot like boxing. 

The day you decide to become a WRITER is the day the gloves come off. You, my friend, have now opened yourself up to all manner of criticism and advice. Yes, praise too, but that doesn't come as easily as judgment.

A WRITER must train hard. Build core strength and muscle and endurance. Learn to think on his feet. Take a punch...in the gut, the heart, the face. But more importantly, deflect the punches that could knock him off his feet. Most of all, the WRITER must develop abs and skin of steel.

Then, comes the time to throw the hat into the ring and expose your soul to the world. 

Scared but hopeful, a WRITER enters the boxing ring (aka the PUBLISHING WORLD) and faces his OPPONENTs (insert : EDITORS, REVIEWERS, CRITIQUES) sometimes with sometimes without gloves on (insert: w or w/o an AGENT in his corner.)

The WRITER must apply the lessons learned skillfully, sometimes all in the same match. Plot, hook, structure, goal, motivation, conflict...pow pow pow.

Then pray his skills are solid and fate is on his side. Or else face THE KNOCKOUT PUNCH (insert: REJECTION.)

And when TKO comes to pass, the WRITER, like Mohammed Ali, must struggle back to his laptop, bloodied and bruised but stronger than ever, and have another go at the championship...or die typing!

Do you have what it takes to be a member of 

THE WRITE CLUB?

(all images, GIFs and YouTube videos borrowed from the Internet.)

RELEASE DAY BLITZ: BLOOD MONARCH by DRAKO

FOR THOSE WHO LOVE VAMPIRES...

TODAY'S RELEASE DAY BLITZ IS PART OF BOOK REVIEW TOURS.

About the Book:

A king's duty never ends, even when his kingdom changes. Vladimir Dracula is one of the most famous and misunderstood figures in all of history. One thing is true, he is a king, and he is a vampire. He is the true king and enforcer of the vampire race. Feared by all of his own kind, he is perhaps the most lethal of the Black Dragon God's mortal born servants. At the same time, he personifies sex. None can resist his charms, save one.

Vax King is the Chosen of Hecate, the Heir of Mjolnir, and has no plans on a mate. When he's called on to enter Fae lands, he's surprised to find the legendary vampire there. Looking to aid the beautiful Fae, Anaya, and her soul mate, Galen, Vax must enter a world of sex of violence with only Vlad to accompany him. Here, there can be no denial, no hesitation. Only truth....and dominance.

A war is brewing in the Fae lands, as the fallen angels rise to lay claim to the power of their goddess, Verlaine and topple their higher brethren. Older than most, Vlad must accustom himself to having a soul mate, and use all his legendary power to stop the forces of darkness long believed to be controlled by him. A new kingdom is the prize, and none knows better than the famed Dracula that the secret to power lies in the blood.

Book Links:
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Meet the Characters:

Vladimir Dracula

AKA: Vlad, Vlad the Impaler, Dracula

Height: 6’10”

Weight: 315 pounds

Hair: shoulder length, brown

Origin: A human follower of Jarel, the Black Dragon god. He was caught in the crossfire of Jarel’s disagreement with a demon god and the result changed him into one of the first vampires. 

More info: Contrary to popular belief, he has never sired another vampire. The entire race descends from the married couple, Vacker and Deidre. He has functioned as the final enforcer of the race since its creation. He is lethal in battle, being one of those fortunate enough to have had Jarel’s favor in mortal life first. He is also extremely sexual, with an appeal that draws others to him. He should not be confused with the prince who became known as Vlad the Impaler. He’s far older and earned the name in a far different manner. 

Vax

Height: 6’4”

Weight: 220 pounds

Hair: long, red

Origin: A mortal born witch, servant to Hecate, the patron goddess of witches. He was chosen by the goddess himself to wield the legendary hammer Mjolnir to expel Lucifer from the mortal world.

More info: Vax originally had a bit of a self-confidence issue. Because he’s mortal born, he is not used to the strength and power gifted to him by the goddess. He’s a quick learner, and in fact, had a bit of conflict with Vlad in his first story. He’s the first person to resist Vlad’s charm when the vampire is really pouring it on. 

Anaya

Height: 5’3”

Hair: long, red

Origin: An orphaned Fae, she comes into contact with Brandon during his mortal life and the two have a son, Theo, who eventually becomes one of the Three Fates. She is actually the daughter of the Fae queen and the very first angel, Apollyon.

More info: Anaya was captured due to her softer and trusting nature in the second book, and the reasons are complicated. Her ties to the father of her child as well as her soul mate, in addition to her parentage, made her a target. But she’s certainly come into her own and is no damsel in distress

Galen

Height: 6’6”

Weight: 258 pounds

Eyes: blue

Hair: long, black

Origin: A warrior angel created by an ancient goddess, he has only known war and duty and has not adjusted to the idea of having a soul mate.

More info: Galen has loyalty that cannot be questioned, even falling from grace to aid in the fall of Lucifer. He’s powerful and ruthless in battle, but unfamiliar with the concept of love. It’s taken him a long time to accept Anaya.

About the Author:

Drako resides in his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, which you may notice is part of the setting of this series. When he isn’t writing, he’s busy editing for other authors, reviewing books, working, going to college, and spending time with his friends and two nieces. He blogs often and is very active on Facebook while trying to readjust to activity on twitter. His subject matter varies as he likes to talk about more than just his writing. You can check out his posts at his website, drakosden.weebly.com

Author Links:
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RUMI Quotes.

AUTHOR'S CIRCLE: ELIZABETH ENSLIN

On Author's Circle today, we interview 

ELIZABETH ENSLIN

about her memoir, 

While the Gods Were Sleeping.

Describe your book in 20 words or less without using the blurb:

An anthropologist marries into an unfamiliar culture, encounters sexism and discovers allies among local women eager for change. 

Buy the Book: HERE

Where would you live if you could live anywhere in the world?

I love a lot of different places, but I’ve chosen to live in northeastern Oregon. We’ve got rolling grasslands, rocky canyons, snowy peaks, wildflower meadows, forests and working farms and ranches. Our small towns here also have lively scenes in literary and visual arts, music and local foods.

What’s your current guilty pleasure?

I love growing, cooking and eating food. The guilt comes in because I’m a good gardener and cook, and I end up eating too much.

When did you begin writing?

I began writing as a child, mostly stories about my pets and other animals. In elementary school, I tried putting out a regular newsletter where I ranted about littering and other social ills and featured profiles on endangered species. It wasn’t very popular. In middle school, I dabbled in fantasy but realized I was more attracted to realism. For my high school newspaper in Seattle, I wrote features and editorials on gay rights and oil tankers in Puget Sound, though I also had to cover tennis matches and pep squads. Looking back over my adult life, I see that writing has been the great constant in my meandering path through cultural anthropology, teaching and non-profit administration. But only in the last few years have I dared to call myself “Writer.”

Are you a plotter or a pantzer?

I’m a pantzer by habit. I usually begin a piece by riffing on some idea, image or event. But the possibilities usually take off in conflicting directions. I want to follow them all and do stick with that process for awhile because it usually yields insights and scenes I might otherwise miss. Eventually though, I need to spend some time prioritizing directions and looking for a through line in the story, which leads me to spend more time plotting. For my recently published memoir, I found writing the chapter summaries for the book proposal helpful. It was monotonous work, but it forced me to tighten the story more around the plot.

  

Did you do any research before start or during of the writing of the books?

Although it is not meant as an academic account, my recent book is based partly on anthropological research I did in the late 1980s and early 1990s. I left out most details of my research, but since I was a researcher, I had to give some flavor of what that work was like for character development. In most of my writing, I tend to weave in some larger theme that requires me to do research. For example, several years ago I wrote an essay about my spider phobia. That required me to do some research on various spiders and their habits, including tarantula sex. That, of course, required me to explore my own phobia more. I found reading such details both terrifying and a little thrilling.

What book is currently on your nightstand?

A lot of books piqued my interest at the Indo-American Arts Festival where I met you, Falguni. One I’ve just begun is The Sleeping Dictionary by Sujata Massey.

How important do you find the communication between you and your readers? Do you reply to their messages or read their reviews?

I’m a new and relatively unknown author, so I love the steady trickle of fan mail I’ve been receiving since October from readers all over the world. That may actually be my favorite part of publishing so far: readers’ raw and heartfelt expressions of how the book moved them to tears or gave them insights they can use in their work. If the trickle becomes a flood, I may not be able to respond personally, but for now, I do. I don’t, however, read reviews on sites like Amazon or Goodreads. I see those as conversations among readers. 

Thats a very interesting way of looking at reviews, Elizabeth. And healthy too :)

What are your thoughts on ebooks? (love them, hate them, wave of the future?)

I love the physicality of books. But as I get older, I find myself drawn to some practical benefits of ebooks, like the ability to enlarge the font size and carry numerous stories with me wherever I travel.

Are you working on any other projects except writing, right now?

My partner and I are finishing a straw bale house on our farm in northeastern Oregon. The house is all sealed up from the weather and stays warm, but we still have to paint and plaster drywall, install more flooring and countertops, oil ceilings and beams. It’s overwhelming. Aside from the never-ending tasks, I find the decisions hardest. What color should I paint this closet? What kinds of doorknobs should we get?  

Wow. That's some hands-on project! I'm more of a designer than a do-it-yourselfer and so have a deep, deep respect for DIYers. Although, seeing your vision come to life is another kind of pleasure, as I'm sure you know.

Elizabeth, thanks for doing this interview and letting us get to know you.

ABOUT the author: 
Elizabeth Enslin grew up in Seattle and earned her PhD in cultural anthropology from Stanford University in 1990. Her creative nonfiction and poetry appear in The Gettysburg Review, Crab Orchard Review, The High Desert Journal, The Raven Chronicles, Opium Magazine and In Posse Review. Recognition includes an Individual Artist Fellowship Award from the Oregon Arts Commission and an Honorable Mention for the Pushcart Prize. She currently lives in a strawbale house in the canyon country of northeastern Oregon where she raises garlic, pigs and yaks. Learn more at:

www.elizabethenslin.com

Follow Elizabeth on Twitter @LizEnslin

Buy the Book: HERE